Page 113 of Bad Demon

As the fear in my gut swirled faster, it twisted into rage, and I let it feed the power simmering inside me. It could be a monumentally stupid thing to do because I had no real control over my magic. And the way it felt? Shit, if I let it, it could bring down this entire house. So, I thought of an iron door, of locks, so many of them, holding some of my power back to try to restrain the magic spiraling and surging inside me. It seemed to work—for now anyway.

Throwing up my hands as I approached the doors, I let a little of it slip free, and they burst open, buckling and snapping under the force.

The Chemist spun toward me, a bloody scalpel in his black latex-covered hand.

“Stop,” I cried out, and my voice seemed to resonate through the room.

The Chemist froze, his eyes widening.

Sutton was strapped to a table in the middle of the large room while Boo went crazy in a cage beside it, crashing repeatedly against the bars to try to get to her.

“Step away from her,” I ordered, my voice sounding far stronger than I felt.

The rattle of chains, hisses, and snarls came from one of the shadowed corners. Ghoul. The Chemist’s most horrible creature, a demon, broken and starved, was right there. I forced down the fear that instantly hit me and aimed all my hatred at the twisted witch holding the scalpel.

Shock and surprise moved across The Chemist’s face when he struggled, trying to move, to fight it, but he was forced to take a step back. “Ahhh, there you are, Estelle,” he said, the surprise replaced with excitement. “There is my very special demon.” His head tilted to the side. “I’ve waited for so very long for you to show me who you truly are. You’re powerful.”

“Yes, I am, and I’m not here to show you anything,” I snarled. “I’m here to fucking kill you, you twisted fuck.”

He grinned, and it sent cold dread down my spine. “You can’t hurt me, Essie—you must know that. You’ve seen my very special sigils.”

Yes, I’d seen the sigils branded into his flesh while he’d fucked his favorite mannequin in front of me.

A howl echoed in the distance, and my heart leaped.

I smiled. “Do you hear them? Hellhounds—they’re coming for you, Erwin.”

He bared his teeth, fury lining his face. He didn’t like being called by his name. “They won’t get through my ward, not this time.”

“I hate to burst your bubble, but you have no idea how strong they are.”

He was powerful, but nowhere near as strong as Agatheena. Relic had already proven he could get through one of The Chemist’s wards before, and this one, with him and his brothers battering it, would be no match.

Grady burst into the room, saw me, and immediately charged. I threw up my hands instinctively, and he stopped so hard and fast that something snapped—several bones in his body breaking or dislocating. He flew across the room, slamming against the wall before hitting the ground hard.

As soon as he did, Ghoul’s chains rattled, and his bony arm shot out of the shadows; long, tattooed fingers grabbed the only part of Grady he could reach—his hair—and dragged him into the darkness with it.

Grady’s screams filled the room, and The Chemist stared into the corner, breathing hard, his eyes wide with shock. Then I felt it—his fear. And it was bright and sharp and wonderful, feeding my burning rage.

The Chemist’s gaze sliced back to me, and I slowly circled him, until I stood between him and Sutton. She was unconscious—at least, I hoped that was all she was—and when I saw the extent of the damage he’d done to her, my rage and power shot higher.

Vicious barking, growls, and snarls echoed in the distance, but quickly grew louder.

The Chemist looked up, but he shook his head, a furious expression on his face. “Even if they manage to breach the ward, they can’t touch me.”

The sound of the door splintering upstairs came next.

“You were saying?”

A roar came from upstairs, so thunderous and violent that goose bumps rose all over me.

The Chemist tried to step back, and this time, he could—whatever I’d done, whatever spell I’d cast was wearing off. He turned to the door behind him, but I wasn’t letting him leave. No fucking way.

I flung up my hands. “You will not leave this room.”

A massive hound—my hound—burst into the room, then another and another. The Chemist spun back to the door. My powers were as volatile as Agatheena had said they’d be. I didn’t know how to direct them, and now they weren’t stopping him. He ran for the door—

Relic leaped from one side of the room, landing in front of the exit. He shifted, looming over the smaller male, and The Chemist stumbled back.

---